Amber Riley Says She Relates to Dreamgirls' Effie White

Amber Riley poses for the cameras ahead of her interview at BBC Studios in London, England on Saturday morning (April 2).

The 30-year-old actress is getting a head start on promo for her role as Effie White in the West End production of Dreamgirls.

“I went through vocal surgery, which I needed after years and years of singing and recording and tiring myself out. They found two nodules on my cords,” Amber recalled of her audition. “And, of course, a couple of weeks after that was done, they call and say: ‘Hey! They’d love you to come in and sing Effie White!!’”

They waited two weeks for Amber to audition for the role!

“I’m not sure if it’s life imitating art or art imitating life, but I understand something of what Effie was going through,” Amber added. “I do know being a black woman who is plus-sized in Hollywood, you’re going to face more rejection than acceptance.”